1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cooking apparatuses, and more particularly, to a cooking apparatus for cooking a piece of food placed in the cavity while detecting the temperature of the food using an infrared ray sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some conventional cooking apparatuses, microwave ovens, for example, are provided with an infrared ray sensor. During cooking, the infrared ray sensor senses infrared radiation from a piece of food placed on the turntable rotating in the cavity, and the control unit detects the temperature of the food based on the sensed infrared radiation. The control unit monitors the food to determine if the food has reached an expected finishing temperature.
In such a conventional microwave oven, the control unit automatically controls heating based on the temperature of the food detected in the above-described manner according to a preset automatic heatin course.
The size or thickness of foods to be heated vary. Some food must be heated sufficiently on the inside. In the conventional microwave oven, however, only the temperature of the surface of the food is detected by sensing infrared radiation from the food while heating the same, and the temperature of the inside of the food is not detected. If a large piece of food is heated or if a piece of food should be thoroughly heated to the inside, heating may be over before the inside of the food is heated enough.